Hello there, my name is Paul. By day I am a mathematician. By night I'm a chess player exploring ways to get better at the mind game. Welcome to my space on the web.

Writing is an essential part of my process, and "Chess on my Mind" is my spot on the web where I can write down my thoughts, opinions, observations, and share my personal perspective about the world of chess, and my place in it, in the form of essays.

My essays are written from the viewpoint of a chess enthusiast living with dual sensory loss, in a predominantly sighted and hearing world. I write about my own journey down the road to chess improvement. The solutions I have found to very specific problems faced as a deafblind chess player. The things I'm trying to improve. The results I'm experiencing. The study material and resources I've found useful. And the state of accessibility in the digital world of chess.

I've come to understand that chess is a complicated game. With many paths to chess mastery. It takes many hours of study and deliberate practice over the chessboard. We all come to the game with our own individual strengths and weakness. So, what works for me, might not work for you.

To keep things in perspective with my own journey to chess improvement I heed the wise words written by William Norwood Potter, in "The City of London Chess Magazine", in 1876:

"A mind saturated with one idea to the exclusion of all others is necessarily predisposed to mania, and if a man allows himself to regard Chess as the one fact of existence, thereby starving his mind, which, like the body, requires a variety of food, then the texture of the strongest brain must become weakened, and the reason sooner or later be overthrown".

You should bear in mind that I am a chess enthusiast. I'm not a master of the game. If you came to this site looking for a grandmaster or a chess coach, then you've come to the wrong place. I'm not qualified to offer lessons or give expert advice. I'm just your average chess player looking to improve his own game.

"Chess on my Mind" is a personal site that has no cookies, no ads, no affiliate links, no tracking or analytics, no sponsored essays, and no paywall, though there are products and services which I might come across and recommend.

My motivation for this site is to have a space for self-expression and to share what I've learned from the world of chess, as my knowledge and practical experience of the mind game increase. I also hope to inspire others to start their own journey to chess improvement. Especially, in the blind community.

-- Paul